Strong Opinions
by ExtremeRainbowRaiderPrincess
Summary: She was looking for a lawyer, but was hoping for a knight-in-shining-armor. He was just looking for ice cream, but instead found himself at her door, wondering where life was taking him. Together, they were the perfect team. Could they set aside some strong opinions, though, and make it work? AU
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I own the OC's. I also own the story. :D That's it._

_Author's Note: I know that I'm not the only Lara/Alex fan here- I have listened to what you guys have said! :) Always said I was going to publish another one, and here it is. :D Enjoy, fellow readers and writers._

* * *

Up at 6 AM. Asleep at midnight.

Do research, attend boring business meeting, have tea with a grumpy aunt.

Repeat.

Lady Lara Evangeline Croft was no stranger to strong routines. She had had the same one for the last two years since she had graduated from her university with her double major in archeology and history.

And, quite frankly, she was growing bored of it.

Ever since her 23rd birthday, when she received her full inheritance and title, so much had been expected of her. To be responsible and charming, polite and social, ladylike and brilliant.

And put aside her dreams of becoming a world-famous explorer strictly to maintain her family's image.

The illusion that she was a prim-and-proper heiress was growing thin and annoying, yet she knew that she had to uphold it.

She just wished that, for a change, she could be a princess and have a knight in shining armor rescue her.

_Knight-in-shining-armor, or adventure that can't be resisted. That just screams, "follow your dreams!" and pushes you to go after them. _Lara thought glumly, her chin resting in the palm of her hand as she studied the- very boring- estate responsibilities in front of her.

"I don't even know what this means!" Lara told her lawyer in exasperation. She wasn't even sure what he was doing there; she didn't remember calling him. "Is it good, is it bad? It is purple with green llamas on it? I don't know!" At that point, she ducked her head and pulled her hair. "Auggggh! I hate this." she mumbled to herself.

Her lawyer, a sour man who had been her father's lawyer, sighed in annoyance. "Lady Croft, I will explain." he said in a tone that implied that he was displeased with her. "If you will look at column one-"

Lara stood up. She wasn't sitting through another... Another... Snooze-fest!

"Ah, now I remember." She lied, her face cold. "I will not need a refresher."

Her lawyer glared at her as she gathered up the paperwork and put it back into its folder. "Your father said that you were a responsible young lady who would maintain the family estate's like he would have." he stated simply.

Lara's mouth twitched, doubting every word he had said. "Ah... Right... Did he now? Well, if that's the case..."

* * *

Hilary and Bryce had noticed that Lara's annoyance over another meeting involving her family's estates was greater that day than before, but they both had waved it off as just because she had made other plans for the day.

Therefore, they were equally shocked when they heard shouting from the second floor, followed by Lara's lawyer stomp down the stairs, Lara staying on the landing to watch him go.

"Your father would be most disappointed, Lady Croft!" The man tossed over his shoulder as he paused to don his coat. "He was a loyal client of ours and-"

Lara rolled her eyes and placed her hand on her hips. "Yes, he was a loyal client of yours. He thought your law firm was the cream of the crop and that you all were more of a family to him than I or my mother ever was." She paused to brush her straight brown hair out of her face before continuing. "So, to sum up my entire thoughts on the situation: You're very rude and too stuck on your own opinion. Also, you're fired. Hilary, see to it that he is escorted off of the estate."

There was a moment of stunned silence as everyone stared at her. Then, Bryce burst into laughter.

Hilary turned red-faced and started forward with a clipped, "Yes, ma'am." as the lawyer fumed and marched towards the front door, yelling about how Lara was a disgrace to the Croft Family name and legacy.

Lara shook her head as the man retreated, Bryce's uncontrollable laughter echoing throughout the cavernous manor.

* * *

While Lara was proud that she had actually had the courage to fire her father's lawyer, she almost immediately regretted the result the next day when Hilary dropped a stack of letters on her desk, each with the details of a new law firm clamoring for her business.

Lara looked up from her arms, where she had been resting her head. She looked at the stack, then at Hilary. "Is that all of them, Hilary? Or just the first batch?"

"Just the first batch, Lady Croft." Hilary responded calmly. "The couriers have been at the door all morning with new letters. Bryce has strict instructions to collect the letters, tip them, and then email the firms that only one letter is needed to alert you to their existence."

The young heiress groaned and dropped her head back on her arms. "Thank you, Hilary."

The butler folded his hands in front of him and waited a moment before speaking again. "Is there anything I can get you?"

She shook her head, causing Hilary to frown.

"All right." he said, turning to go. "I will be in the kitchen then."

When only a miserable sigh responded to his remark, he stopped.

"Forgive me if I am speaking out of place here, Lady Croft, but I think none of these lawyers will work out. None of them seem to understand just how different you are from your father and, as such, do not appreciate your unique personality. I think you would be best suited hiring a young, new lawyer who doesn't have an agenda and doesn't rub elbows with the rest of the batch." He said, turning slightly to look at Lara once more.

Lara thought his words over for a moment, quickly realizing that he was right. "Thanks, Hilary. You're right." Lara said, smiling weakly at him.

Hilary nodded and turned, reaching for the doorknob.

"And, Hilary?"

He turned and looked at her. "Yes, Lady Croft?"

"Coffee, with this much coffee, and that much cream," she said, using her hands to indicate that she wanted really only coffee with a tiny amount of cream in it. "I'm going to do my own research to find this lawyer."

Hilary smiled and nodded. He was glad she was, at least a little bit, behaving like herself.

* * *

He had no idea what he was doing there.

It was two in the morning. He wanted ice cream. He was new to the city.

How had he ended up at the front gates of a... A...

_Museum? _Alex mused as he stared at the imposing manor.

He knew he should just turn around, that no one was most likely there, but the security camera was moving far too rapidly to just be automated.

So, he rolled down his car window and stuck his head out. "Hello?" he spoke up to the camera.

It snapped in his direction and stared.

_Yep. Someone's here. _he thought wryly. "I'm lost. I'm just trying to find the grocery market. Could you point me in the right direction?"

The camera didn't move for several moments. Then, he could hear it, it zoomed in. Or out. He wasn't sure which. Then, as if the controller was bored, it began moving in a slow, mechanical fashion. It was back on its automated system.

Alex leaned back in his seat and sighed. _Ok. So, "no". Guess they don't..._

He stopped his line of thought when the gates began opening, albeit slowly.

The American wasn't sure what was going on.

"Better than driving around in the dark just trying to find a store." he muttered as he put the car back in "drive" and started forward at a crawl.

As he began creeping around the loop in front of the main doors, the doors opened and a man stepped out.

Alex couldn't look at the person until he had put the car in "park" again and was surprised to find that the man was wearing a bath robe.

"Hi, sorry..." Alex apologized with. He was starting to wonder if maybe it was someone's estate instead.

"Hello, and welcome to Croft Manor." The man said in a rehearsed, yet tired, tone. "My name is Hilary. I heard that you are lost." he stated simply.

Alex nodded, leaning on the open window. "Yeah." he said with a weak smile, studying the manor behind the man. _Whoever the "Croft" who lives here is... Wow._

Hilary nodded and stepped forward, offering Alex a map. Alex took it as Hilary pointed in a different direction. "Take the first right on Lyleton Avenue and then the second left. Keep going and soon you'll find yourself at a 24-hour market. They'll have everything you need."

Alex nodded, a little surprised. "Thanks." he was grateful for Hilary's help.

Hilary nodded, stepped back, and then paused. "If I may ask, who are you?"

The blond thought about that for a moment. Who _was _he these days?

"Alex West." He finally said, plunking the map down on the seat next to him. "Lawyer."

The look that crossed Hilary's face- one of amazement- was not seen by Alex. By the time Alex looked up again, in fact, Hilary was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Will you be staying in town for a while?" Hilary asked carefully, much to Alex's surprise.

"Yeah. I'm working with a friend..." Alex didn't get any further than that.

"Wonderful! The lady of the manor needs a lawyer. Would you be available to stop by again in, oh..." Hilary stared into space for a moment, not seeing Alex's confused expression. "...15 days?"

Alex blinked twice as he considered he answer very carefully.

Was he… Being offered a job?

"Uh… I might be able to. I think I am." He answered, really not sure what to say or if he was even free that day for an… Interview.

_Is that was this is about? You sure this isn't just a dream and you're sitting in a window at your apartment, leaning out it like a moron? _Alex wondered to himself. He hoped that, if that was the case, no one saw him.

"Good. I will call your office- do you have a card?- and let you know when Lady Croft will be expecting you." Hilary said in a tone that indicated he had had coffee earlier in the night.

Alex, in a bit of a daze, fished a card out of his wallet and handed it over to Hilary, who nodded and folded his hands in front of him, the card in his grasp. "Thank you sir, and have a good evening." He said, resuming his calm butler façade.

"You too…" Alex said, though his own voice sounded like it was coming from a phone with a bad signal.

He seriously had no idea what had just happened.

* * *

_There's always one or two fics every few months where I write them to be oneshots and they end up longer than I expected. Lol ah well, it could be worse._

_Chapter 2 will be out as soon as I complete it. Which is hopefully very soon._

_Reviews are lovely, like cake! ^_^ Just look for Proto- she's my secretary, for those of you who don't know- and she'll give you a slice of cake to say "thanks"._

_Any flames will be put in the recycling bin and ignored._


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I own the OC's and the fic and that's it._

_A/N: See? I didn't forget about this fic. I almost updated last month but I decided the chapter wasn't good enough._

_^_^ Huge thanks to everyone for all their support. You guys are awesome! :D_

* * *

Two weeks, and a day, later Lara's search for a new lawyer ended.

Somewhat.

"How can there seriously be no one who's willing to take me on as a client without an agenda?" Lara asked in frustration, seated on the table in front of the fireplace in the grand hall.

Bryce shrugged as he sipped his cocoa. "I dunno. Maybe they've all gone out of business?" He suggested.

Lara shrugged. "I have no idea! I just want this stupid search to be over with," she grumbled as Hilary hurried past to answer the door, "so that I can resume trying to get back to my normal life."

"Which means doing paperwork and sitting behind a desk all day." Bryce pointed out.

Lara dropped her head into her hands and screamed at that point. She was really beginning to hate all of the responsibilities that came with taking over the family business.

Someone coughed behind her and she noticed that Bryce had gone suspiciously quiet, so she raised her head and twisted around on the table to look at who was standing behind her.

There was Hilary, of course, and... A tall, handsome, blond, and dare she think, rugged, male, standing there. Staring at her. He couldn't be much older than her, she realized.

Her cheeks turned pink. "Oh, hello," she said, hurrying to stand. Since it was 7 o'clock in the evening, Lara was dressed down in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. She was even barefoot, and she felt so ridiculous all of the sudden.

_I shouldn't. This is my home. _She told herself, yet she couldn't stop staring into the mesmerizing blue eyes of the stranger.

"Lady Croft, this is Alexander West." Hilary paused, a devious grin crossing his face before he stifled it. "And the man you've been looking for."

Everyone looked at him as Lara tried to figure out what he meant. Then, it hit her.

_He's a lawyer! _She thought, going around the table to shake Mr. West's hand. Hopefully, Hilary was right.

* * *

Lara and Alex, as he insisted she call him, quickly were introduced before they went to her office- which was a mess since she had thrown a fit earlier in the day and tossed everything around, fed up with time standing still at the manor.

Alex stopped just inside the doorway of the office, surveying the room with an amused look on his face. Lara, nervously, put her hands in her pockets and cleared her throat at that point, bringing his attention back to her, unintentionally.

_Sure, riiiiiiiight. _She thought, critically. "Um, I just lost something and was desperately trying to find it." she lied through her teeth as he continued to watch her.

He smirked, quirking his eyebrow, as Lara's heart skipped a beat. "Right."

A little annoyed, Lara flipped her braid over her shoulder and went towards her desk, carefully stepping around the items lying on the floor… Save for the "to do" list that her aunt had given her.

_It's more like "to don't". _She thought grumpily as she took a seat.

Alex took a seat across from her, still scanning the messy room.

Lara felt more and more ridiculous by the moment as she waited in silence for his gaze to return to her. When it finally did, she wished he'd start looking around the room again so she wouldn't feel as flustered.

"So, you're a lawyer." Lara stated. "I assume you've heard through the grapevine that I am currently looking for one." She said, feeling a little suspicious finally.

Alex leaned back in the leather wing chair and grinned slowly, making both Lara's heart rate spike and her suspicions grow.

_There's something about him… _She thought, both annoyed and intrigued, as she gripped the armrests of her chair firmly.

"Actually, Hilary recommended that I stop by."

The words shocked her.

_Just how on earth did Hilary find this man?_

* * *

Alex could see Lara's big brown eyes grow wide, then narrow, as she thought over his words.

Hilary's warning when he had returned to the manor just moments ago, that Lara was not a woman to be taken lightly, was an understatement.

He could tell that she didn't trust him, yet the fact that she hadn't outright turned him down, well… He had a feeling that this was a good meeting with Lady Croft.

Or, well, at least it was a good start to a meeting. He'd been warned by several friends that Lady Croft's temper quickly rose when it came to business matters.

_This is going to be interesting, _he thought with a smirk as Lara tilted her head, studying him.

"Oh, really?" she responded with. He had a feeling that Hilary would be in trouble with her if this meeting didn't turn out well. "How did he find out about you? Did you send a messenger as well?" she quizzed him with, crossing her arms across her ribs as she leaned back in the leather chair.

She was gorgeous- the photos from the tabloids had understated her beauty. And tough. Dressed in an old college t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants spotted with bleach stains, Lady Lara Croft looked less like an heiress in dire need of his assistance and more like a... A...

_A girl you would take out for drinks and dinner at a local pub while catching a game? _His conscience- the one he ignored most of the time- spoke up.

"Let's just say it was a right place, right time kind of deal." he responded casually with, not wanting to mention his little adventure trying to find his way to a grocery store. _Although, chicks do dig guys who can ask for directions. _His conscience added again.

Lara nodded slowly, her brown eyes narrowed as she studied him, assessing whether or not he was telling her the truth.

_Just who's been applying for this job? Snakes? _he wondered, suddenly feeling- oddly- protective of the woman he had only met minutes before.

"Well, then, Mr. West, tell me why you think you are the right man for this job." she said, issuing him a challenge that he could not- would not- refuse.

Alex shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable under her inquisitive, yet stern, gaze. He felt like he was in trouble when in reality he was there to help her.

Leaning back lazily, he smirked at her. "It all started when I got lost looking for a grocery store to purchase ice cream at..."

* * *

Bryce, and Hilary, though he would deny everything in an instant and then disappear to a corner of the manor not seen by many, spied on Lara and Alex through one of the camera's Bryce had set up around the manor.

"See? I told you these things are useful." Bryce quipped as Hilary rolled his eyes.

"I'll pay you back on that wager after we see the outcome of this meeting." Hilary responded with, cutting off Bryce's next quip before he had begun to formulate it.

Bryce blinked, his eyes wide and innocent. "What, we had a bet going for this? I had forgotten all about that. I take cash only, you know." He added, turning to face the screen again.

_Please hire him. Please please please. _Hilary thought. He was growing tired of fielding calls from law offices, independent lawyers, and anything else to do with the legal world. When she was done with this search he was going on a vacation. A long one. To a place like Australia or something where he could focus on something fun that was not within driving distance of the manor. And by driving distance he meant Lara's standards of the phrase. So, basically, a long ways away.

With an ocean in the way. And some mountains.

After several more moments of watching the boring footage- and Bryce hilariously trying to interpret what was being said- Alex and Lara stood and the two spying on the meeting backed away from the computer like it was possessed.

"Quick, turn it off!" Hilary hissed as Lara and Alex shook hands. Bryce inched his rolling desk chair forward, hands shaking as he prayed that Lara wouldn't know anything. Hands flying over the keyboard, he quickly closed out the footage and pulled up the feed for the driveway. Hilary scrambled away, pretending to dust a statue as Lara and Alex left the study.

Bryce resumed being bored stiff while Hilary flew into his role as polite butler easily, asking if Alex was staying for dinner or would like something to drink as the lady of the manor and the lawyer reached the bottom of the stairs.

"No, he will not be staying." Lara said in a tone that stated her disapproval of Mr. West. "Quite frankly, I find him too infuriating to want him to stay." she said, turning to Alex and looking him in the eye.

Alex just grinned a smug grin at her, his blue eyes bright. "Admit it- you love me."

Bryce sucked in a nervous breath at that point. "Oh dear God we're all doomed." he muttered, grabbing his coffee cup and exiting the tech room out a side door in order to avoid seeing the blow up that was inevitable. Hilary, too, moved out of the way.

He was left stunned when Lara just quirked her eyebrow at Alex, seeming to issue a silent challenge. Alex gave her a similar look then, and for a moment time seemed to stop as they had a staring contest.

"Good night, Mr. West." Lara said in a firm tone a moment later.

Taking her hand, Alex pressed a kiss to it, earning a faint blush from Lara. "Good night, Lara Croft." he said in a low tone that made her eyes grow wide. She didn't yank her hand away though, and she seemed a little disappointed when he let go.

Alex collected his wool coat, said good night to Hilary, and left minutes later calmly, leaving Hilary to wonder just what had been said at that meeting. Bryce, ever the curious one, lurked nearby, listening in.

"You can come out now, Bryce." Lara called, returning to the table in front of the fireplace. She sighed as she sat down, looking into the fading embers with a somber expression on her pretty face.

Bryce peaked his head out from around the doorway he had gone through, looking innocent. "Oh, I just forgot something..." he lied- badly- with. Hilary cringed when he heard that. "So... I take it he's not coming back then?"

The men held their breath as Lara sat, statue-silent, for a moment or two. She was deep in thought, it seemed. When she stood, they were anxious to hear her answer.

"No, he starts on Monday. Hilary, make sure anyone and everyone who was vying for the position knows that I've hired someone. I'm tired of seeing those darned letters on my desk every morning." Lara said as she started for the stairs. "And, Bryce? Next time you want to spy on someone, use a better camera. I could hear you zooming in and out the entire time." She paused halfway up the stairs, and turned her head to her shoulder so that they could see her profile. "Though, I don't blame either of you for being curious about the meeting." she grinned, and then resumed her ascension of the stairs. "Good night."

Bryce glared at Hilary as Lara went to her room, but Hilary was too busy grinning madly. "Oh, I like the looks of this."

"Why? Because now we're both in trouble!" Bryce hissed.

Hilary shook his head. "Not that. The Alex West bit. I think we're going to see a different side of Lara from here on out."

Bryce wasn't sure what Hilary meant, but he wasn't going to ask. All he knew was that the messengers would quit dropping by the manor with more stupid letters and, for that, he was very happy. He couldn't help but wonder, though, what Hilary meant by, "a different side of Lara".

He just hoped that it didn't equal more work for him.

* * *

…_So, there's one more chapter coming. I didn't plan on it either, but I've left myself no choice._

_Reviews would be lovely. :D Cake for anyone who does. ^_^_

_Flames will be sent to my secretary, the Proto, who will probably forget to give them to me because they are too busy updating their social networking page. XD_


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